The present invention is directed to razors, and more particularly to a flexible member for a razor that enables a razor cartridge attached to the flexible member for pivotal, swivel and torsional movement during a shaving stroke.
The ability to obtain a close and comfortable shave depends upon the quality of the interface between the blades of a razor and the skin surface being shaved. Factors such as contours and/or crevices on a user""s skin surface may create an imbalance of shaving forces on a razor, thereby degrading shave performance. In response to this problem, razors have been developed which utilize blades that flex in order to conform to the contours and/or crevices of an individual""s skin surface. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,997 to Ferraro et al. discloses a flexible razor cartridge that can flex convexly and concavely during shaving to follow the contour of a skin surface. The ""997 patent also includes a blade support having a compressible rubber-like material and that allows the blades to angularly and vertically deflect during shaving.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,119 to Ferraro et al. discloses another flexible razor cartridge whereby the razor includes a support and at least one rotating pivot movably connected to the support for contacting portions of a razor cartridge. The razor cartridge is normally maintained in a neutral position, however, in response to forces exerted on the razor cartridge, the cartridge may rotate and slide back and forth between a first position and a second position.
There have also been efforts to provide razors having degrees of movement, whereby the entire razor cartridge is moveable relative to a razor handle. For example, PCT Publication 93/20983 and United Kingdom Patent GB 2,116,470 both disclose razors having razor cartridges that are capable of swiveling relative to a razor handle. Another system disclosed in United Kingdom Patent GB 2,172,236 permits swiveling and pivoting motion, however, the pivoting causes the blade movement to leave the rotational plane of the surface being shaved.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,518, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a four bar linkage system which allows for pivoting and swiveling of a razor cartridge in response to shaving forces.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5.953,824, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a razor that allows a razor cartridge attached thereto to move relative to the razor in response to forces encountered during shaving. In certain embodiments, the razor cartridge is capable of swiveling and also pivoting about an axis normal to a central axis of the razor and normal to an imaginary axis defined by the points of attachments of the razor to a razor cartridge. The razor includes an engagement arm having a slot for controlling movement of the razor cartridge during shaving and during loading/unloading of the razor cartridge. As a result, the razor cartridge maintains an optimum shaving interface with a user""s skin surface regardless of the angular differences between the razor cartridge and the razor during a shaving stroke.
These and other advantages of the present invention are described in further detail below.
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to razors adapted to support a razor cartridge during shaving while permitting pivoting (axis A1), torsional (axis A2) and swiveling motion (axis A3) of the razor cartridge relative to the razor in response to forces encountered during shaving. In one preferred embodiment, a razor assembly includes a razor handle and a flexible member having a first end connected to the handle at a pivot point. The razor handle may have an upper end and lower end with the first end of the flexible member being connected to the upper end of the razor handle. The flexible member desirably has a second free end projecting from the upper end of the razor handle, with a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends of the flexible member. The razor assembly also includes a razor cartridge having a major axis and having one or more razor blades, the razor cartridge being pivotally connected to the second free end of the flexible member for pivoting about an axis that is substantially parallel to the major axis of the razor cartridge. The second free end of the flexible member and the razor cartridge pivotally connected thereto are moveable along an arcuate path centered at the pivot point (i.e., swiveling motion about axis A3) and are rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flexible member (i.e., torsional motion about axis A2). The axis A2 may also extend from the upper end to the lower end of the handle, along the longitudinal axis of the handle. The second free end of the flexible member preferably includes a connecting element adapted for receiving the razor cartridge so that the razor cartridge may be connected thereto. In certain preferred embodiments, the connecting element at the second free end may include a substantially cylindrical shaped rod extending in a direction that is substantially normal to and/or intercepts the longitudinal axis of the flexible member. The razor cartridge may include an underside having one or more bearing surfaces adapted for engaging the substantially cylindrical shaped rod for connecting the razor cartridge with the second end of the flexible member. In certain embodiments, the bearing surfaces snap-fit over the outer surface of the substantially cylindrical shaped rod so that the razor cartridge may pivot about the rod in response to forces encountered during a shaving stroke. The razor cartridge and flexible member may be adapted for unidirectional pivoting motion of the razor cartridge or bi-directional pivoting motion of the razor cartridge relative to the flexible member in response to forces acting upon the cartridge during the shaving process.
The flexible member may also include a support gusset, such as a triangular shaped support gusset, extending from the second free end of the flexible member toward the first end thereof. The flexible member may also include a lateral support extending in a direction that intersects the longitudinal axis of the flexible member. The razor handle may include a rear portion or rear half and a front portion or front half, whereby the rear and front handle portions are connectable together for surrounding at least a portion of the flexible member. In other preferred embodiments, the handle has one piece that may be plastic or metal. In still further embodiments, the flexible member and handle are plastic and the flexible member is integrally molded with the handle. The handle preferably surrounds the first end of the flexible member with the second end of the flexible member projecting out from the handle.
Further advantages and characteristics of the invention are described in further detail below.